Her Love
by Castle Anthrax
Summary: Aang's heart broken, who will help him through his pain? First time doing more than just reviewing!


Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, Nickelodeon does. (Yay for them)

This is the first time I have ever shared a story written by me with anyone other than me. Hope you like, if not sorry.

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"She told me she loves him. She doesn't even realize that she broke my heart with only a few words," Aang sat slumped over on a rock a short distance from their camp.

Toph looked at him curiously, "It doesn't usually take much to break a heart. A few words, an action, nope, not much at all," she replied taking a handful of nuts out of her pocket.

"I've loved her since the moment I laid eyes on her," Aang reminisced about that fateful day when Katara and Sokka found him and Appa in the iceberg.

Toph felt his heart rate spike and figured he was thinking about Katara, since she didn't feel her come near them. She rolled her eyes and thought about all the times he ignored everyone else whenever Katara was around. She sighed as she used a rock to break open a nut.

"Do you think it will last?" he questioned. She didn't miss the hopefulness in his voice.

"Do you?" she asked back, her fingers finding the nuts and throwing the pieces of shells away.

"I don't know," he answered shrugging.

"Do you want it to last?" she asked point blank. She knew she was never one for subtlety, she figured why start now? "Be honest, because I'll now if you lie," she reminded him.

"Honestly? No, I don't," his voice was filled with shame at the thought of his happiness at the cost of his friends' hearts.

"Do you realize how selfish that is?" Toph questioned him further.

Aang thought about how it sounded for him to be happy at the thought of Katara and Zuko being broken hearted, but apart, "I do now," he answered dejectedly.

"I just thought that we would always be together, you know. Now, he has everything I've ever wanted for myself," Aang explained.

"I understand. You took her for granted. You never once told her how you truly felt," Toph said as she smashed another nut.

Aang let out a long sigh, "Are you trying to make me feel bad?"

"No, I'm just not good at this whole, you know, this," she motioned between them with her hands.

They both sat silent, except for the occasional smashing of a nut beneath a rock, and the subsequent chewing of said nut.

Finally the silence was broken by the young air bender, "Does she know she's all I think about?" Aang asked, the hurt evident in his voice.

"Have you ever told her?" Toph questioned point blank.

Aang thought for a moment, "No," was his only reply.

"Then how would you expect her to know?" Toph inquired as she smashed another nut with a rock.

Aang watched his earth bending teacher, and friend, pick through the pieces of shell to find the pieces of edible nut.

"I never knew what to say, or how to say it. And now it's too late," Aang finally answered in a defeated tone.

"It should never have been about what to say or how to say it, but that it was said. She can't read minds, you know," Toph explained as she chewed on the small pieces of nut.

Aang didn't reply, he just sat and watched Toph continue to break nuts open while he thought about Katara.

She was his best friend, his first crush, his first love. She was beautiful in every way. Kind, caring, loving, thoughtful, always there. She was breathtakingly, flawlessly, beautiful.

And, she was in love with Zuko. Their onetime enemy, turned reluctant teammate, turned friend. Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, the one who once hunted the Avatar, now held Katara's heart in his hand.

"Hey Twinkle Toes, are you listening?" Toph asked as she threw a nut at Aang.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he was hit in the head with a nut. He rubbed his head and scowled at the earth bender, _"For being blind she sure has good aim," _he thought.

"Yeah, I'm listening," he grumbled.

"You'll find someone else someday," Toph reassured him as she popped another nut into her mouth.

Aang snorted, "I don't think I want someone else. I want to be able to look into her beautiful blue eyes whenever I want, I want to see love for me in her eyes, I want her to hold my hand. I want to be the lucky one who receives her love."

"Aang," Toph began, "there is no use in wanting something you can't have. You should be happy that she's your friend and you get to be a part of her life."

"I know, but it's so hard seeing her with him," Aang whined.

"I know what it's like to feel something for someone who doesn't feel something for you. It's hard, I've been there, but we're young, we're resilient, we grow and move on. That's all you can do," Toph explained, wiping her hands on the front of her tunic. She promptly began picking her teeth.

Aang just watched her for a few moments as he digested what she just said. He found he was slightly surprised that she had had a crush on someone, and wondered who could have garnered her attention. He almost asked, but thought better of it.

"You know, I think you're right. I may not like the situation now. I may never like the situation, but I can deal with it, if Katara and Zuko are happy. I'll still be their friend. I don't know if I'll ever stop loving Katara, but perhaps, someday, I can love someone else too," he answered with resolve.

After that Toph still noticed his breathing became shallow and his heart raced whenever Katara was around, but over time his reactions to her subsided. Katara and Zuko lasted, and Aang moved on to his one truly great love.

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If you liked it, loved it, or hated it, let me know!

C.A.


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